OUTSIDE TOKYO

'Aubrey Beardsley and Japan'

THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, SHIGA

British artist Aubrey Beardsley, a leader of the 19th-century aesthetic movement, was best-known for his bold — and, at times, erotic — black-and-white illustrations. Strongly influenced by art nouveau and Japonisme, it is perhaps unsurprising that Beardsley also inspired many Japanese Taisho Era (1912-26) artists.

This exhibition explores how Japanese ukiyo-e and shunga (erotic) woodblock prints had an affect on Beardsley’s art style during his brief but prolific professional career. At age 25 and after just six years of artistic output, the young artist died from tuberculosis.

Works by Japanese graphic designers and illustrators from the same era are also included in the show, which touches on creative exchanges between England and Japan.